


Maybe You're Broke But I Love You

by noblet



Category: Fake News RPF
Genre: Bisexual Male Character, First Kiss, M/M, Strangers With Candy (mentioned)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-15
Updated: 2016-06-15
Packaged: 2018-07-15 05:24:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,106
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7209566
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/noblet/pseuds/noblet
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"That was my first kiss," Stephen whispers after a long pause, and she looks at him with wide eyes and laughs, and laughs, and laughs.</p><p>A look at the relationships Stephen's had over the years.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Maybe You're Broke But I Love You

**Author's Note:**

> The title is a direct lyric from "I Love You" by Said The Whale.

She's looking up and him, innocently and delicately, with bright eyes that brighten when he smiles and a clear look that says yes.  Her fingers dance on his chest, and his breath quivers, hitches, stops. He must've been sixteen or seventeen, or whenever age kids are when they felt like they were ready to be adults. He can't remember her name or what she looked like, only the nerves that crept up on him whenever he saw her and the smile that made his heart race.

She grins, leans in and he grazes her lips, their teeth clash. It's utterly horrible, and she stares up at him with a strange expression when they pull apart.

"That was my first kiss," Stephen whispers after a long pause, and she looks at him with wide eyes and laughs, and laughs, and laughs.

She moves away at the end of the year, and Stephen never sees her again.

=====

Paul seems a little too enthusiastic when he presents his sketch, but Stephen thinks nothing of it, just raises his eyebrows and gives him a smirk. Amy's laughing out loud, filling the room and Stephen knows he can't say no.

"I'm open to it," Stephen says when the table looks at him for conformation, and Paul grins.

Three times. The first is a short peck, the type of kiss saved for older family members (in this case, your girlfriend's father). It's sweet, and Stephen decides that it isn't too bad.

The second is longer, and he feels Paul's hand on his chest and his heart rises.

The third is the hardest to get through, and they both try so hard not to crack. He lets his hand reach up to the back of Paul's head, and he tries to ignore the hand caressing his hair as the audience screams.

=====

The set is empty when Paul approaches him, still in his show clothes. Stephen looks up from his pad and pen, grinning when he sees the smock hung around Paul's neck, the faux paint smeared on the fabric.

"Geoffrey," Stephen says in a sarcastic tone, and Paul looks at him with eyes that look glossed over. "You're drunk," he speaks up again, quieter this time, and Stephen wonders if Paul found the bottle of Smirnoff he was hiding in his desk.

"Mmm.." Paul grins, and suddenly they're kissing, and it feels different than before. They aren't holding back laughter, and Stephen isn't sure what to do with his hands and Paul's lips (those pillowy lips) are hot and wanting and Stephen can't think and and---

He decides not to leave Strangers when season three starts. "I might be too busy," he tells the crew a hundred times. He's ecstatic, because his new job as a correspondent pays more than 4k a year and maybe he'll be able to run the heating in his apartment. He feels sad when it comes to leaving Paul, and he knows he'll spend nights missing their midnight excursions, their weekend getaways. "I'm only a few states away," Stephen tells him, and Paul nods, understanding.

=====

Jon calls him into his office one day, all business and questions, 'what ifs' and 'how abouts.' He thanks Stephen for agreeing to stay late, thank you, I know you're busy and you probably have things to do but this new show is kind of hard to grasp and I know I'm rambling and-

Stephen accepts it quietly, a quick nod and he closes the door to Jon's office on the way out, and a feeling begins to coil in his stomach.

=====

The (Christmas) Holiday party is in full swing when Stephen stumbles into Jon's office, head hazy and spinning. He's a happy drunk, and he saunters in and collapses onto Jon's couch muttering thank you for letting me have this job, you throw really great parties, you really love your workers, I love you I love you I love you. Something in the back of his mind tells him it's unprofessional, that he should stop, and turn around, turn around, turn around.

He stays, and Jon looks at him with a defeated look on his face, and he just accepts the fact that Stephen's here, blackout drunk, and unfiltered.

He wakes up a few hours later, when he senses that something, someone's looking at him. Jon pushes a cup of coffee (I hope you like black) towards him, and Stephen takes it hesitantly, head pounding, and he gives his thanks.

"No problem," Jon says as he wanders to the window, raising the blinds. Stephen's head rears, and he wonders how the hell it's morning already.

"Have you- Have I been here all night?" Stephen asks, lifting his drink to his lips.

"Yeah," Jon says as he looks out the window, down to the working city below. "Thought you might get lonely," he adds.

"Hmm?" Stephen mumbles, taking a sip. "Oh, you don't need to worry about me, Jon, I think you'll find that I can do all right on my own."

=====

He gives him his own show, because he feels that he's blocking him from his true potential, so he cuts him loose, lets him flee. "Thank you, thank you, thank you," Stephen tells him, and he kisses him, short and fast, something that friends do all the time, and he's gone just as quick.

He gets the title of executive producer, because why the hell not? And they spend late nights in the offices, telling themselves it's just work and there's deadlines and two heads are better then one and-

It's nearing 2AM, and Stephen's staring at him with foreign eyes that make Jon nervous. "You alright?" Jon asks, setting his pen down and leaning back to rub his eyes.

"Hmm, yes." Stephen schmoozes. "Just thinking."

"Thinking?"

"Yeah." A few moments of silence pass by. "I like you a lot," Stephen finally says.

"What is this, third grade?" Jon holds back a laugh, holds back the growing feeling in his chest, holds back the years of wanting to say 'I love you.'

Stephen remains silent, because he came to the conclusion long ago that he should never talk when in tight situations.  Talking himself out of uncomfortable moments never seemed to work. His thoughts would trip, his words would stumble.

"I like you too," Jon finally says, and hope Stephen meant like in _that_ way, and his gaze shifts to the floor. He likes him, he really really does, and Jon wants to ask, why, why him?

"This isn't because I gave you a show, is it?" Jon asks, teasing.

"Maybe," Stephen hums, and the way Jon laughs startles them both.

 

**Author's Note:**

> I thought I posted this already but turns out I didn't???


End file.
